To be able to cope with everyday tasks, it is important to be able to build up concentration. In this process, the focus is placed on the task to be mastered and disruptive factors are blocked out. In the case of poor concentration, this focus is not possible, which leads to distraction from what was originally planned.
What is concentration?
Concentration is essential for performing a wide variety of tasks or activities. The term concentration comes from psychology and refers in the broadest sense to the directing of attention to a particular action, activity or goal. This steering is done by focusing on what is to be achieved. In this context, focus means the sole attention to an activity to be performed over a certain period of time. Interfering noises, persons or movements are faded out to a certain degree in order to be able to carry out the action conscientiously. The word concentration comes from the Latin concentra, which translated means “together to the center”. The term places the goal of the activity in focus (concentration). Over time, concentration wanes, increasing the error-proneness of directed action. It requires mental effort and leads to fatigue after prolonged maintenance. Concentration can be measured using various thinking tasks and stress tests. For many people, a lack of concentration leads to delays in the execution of actions and tasks and can be stressful in the long term. Concentration is influenced by emotional factors, physical condition and environmental conditions. But nutrition can also have an effect on concentration. These factors interact with each other. Accordingly, concentration is not constant, but fluctuates depending on the physical and mental condition and the form of the day.
Function and task
Concentration is essential for the performance of a wide variety of tasks or activities. If a person is not able to concentrate, it can be dangerous depending on the situation. A good example is driving a car. It is a process and a way of acting that is quickly automated. It runs automatically because the necessary processes are internalized through regular driving. Therefore it happens more often than average that the concentration decreases while driving, because it is not actively needed in many situations. Reflexes become habitual and the person acts without having to think about it. However, if sudden, unknown situations arise in road traffic, concentration on one’s own actions is important in order to be able to react accordingly. Increased attention span also improves performance. At school and at work, concentration is important in order to be able to grasp difficult issues. If a person is distracted, content can only be stored and retained with difficulty or not at all. Thus, processing everyday information always requires a certain amount of concentration. This applies in particular to subject areas that lie outside the activities normally performed. Attention and concentration thus fall primarily under the protective mechanisms, but on the other hand they are also jointly responsible for learning ability. For example, a high intelligence quotient and giftedness are not sufficient for children to achieve a good school-leaving qualification. Concentration on set tasks, along with motivation, forms an important pillar of learning. Concentration is promoted by omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B. Sports, short daytime sleep phases as well as meditation or other concentration exercises also have a positive effect.
Diseases and ailments
Concentration disorders are predominantly a description of a symptom. A lack of concentration is not a disease in itself, but in most cases a concomitant of other diseases or ailments. In this context, poor concentration refers to the lack of ability to focus on an activity to be performed over a certain period of time. Affected persons are unable to block out other stimuli. The causes can be varied. Often, a lack of concentration is only a short-lived phenomenon caused, for example, by a lack of sleep. But stress factors or distraction by external conditions can also impair concentration.In many cases, overload also leads to a loss of concentration. People are only able to absorb new things for a certain amount of time. After that, he needs a rest period to process what he has absorbed. Once the capacity and quantity of this has been used up, concentration wanes. Inattention and fatigue are often the result. Other causes can be a lack of exercise, insufficient oxygen supply or malnutrition. Depending on the intensity, allergies can also have a corresponding effect. The use of legal or illegal drugs often also lowers the ability to concentrate. Likewise, poor concentration can result from side effects of medication or chemotherapy. Another possibility is mental illness such as burnout syndrome or depression. In addition, there are a number of physical illnesses that are also associated with a disturbance in concentration. These include anorexia, which in turn interacts with malnutrition, and hyperthyroidism. This can lead, for example, to a rapid breakdown of various substances that are needed for concentration. In older people, poor blood circulation in the brain can be a trigger. But Alzheimer’s and dementia also bring concentration disorders as a side effect. During menopause, women may experience a loss of attention for hormonal reasons. In children, on the other hand, the cause may be ADHD or dyslexia. A physician will use blood, hearing and vision tests in particular to make a diagnosis. But an EEG may also be used.
